MARIBOR: THE CITY OF SWANS | SLOVENIA

It’s quite surprising what a city break away from city life can do for your mind, body and soul. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting much from Maribor, Slovenia. All my friends told me that it was great to visit for an afternoon, nothing more than a day and that if I liked Ljubljana, then I’d also like Maribor. Here’s the thing, I love Ljubljana, it’s a charming little city with exceptionally beautiful people inside and out, I have been twice already this year and really connect with the city. Ljubljana is like my Barcelona, I’d like to see the rest of the country but without feeling like I’m cheating on my favourite city.

Maribor on the other hand, was full of pleasant surprises. One of them being the swans who swam carefree in the Drava River that separates the north and south end of the city. I’ve got no idea why I was so mesmerised by these swans but I spent a good hour wanting them live in their peace and looking effortlessly beautiful.

Slovenia is a relatively small country and you’ll often hear people say, “Let me know when you’re in Slovenia so we can have a coffee.” This is to be taken literally because no matter which city they are from, they can easily hop into their car and be with you in about an hour!

I was fortunate enough to stay at Hotel Betnava and you can read my full review here.

Travelling to Maribor gave me the travel bug again, as you’ve noticed I have kept myself grounded in Zagreb and really trying to get settled into the way of life of my fellow Croatians. However, I really want to begin leaving the city for city break type trips in the coming months and I will.